Stockton bankruptcy to become a trend?

(MoneyWatch) Stockton, Calif., is likely to become the largest city ever to seek bankruptcy protection. But this may be the beginning of a trend, especially if the stock market doesn't provide great returns over the next decade.

In an article I wrote in this month's issue of Financial Planning Magazine, there are storm clouds on the horizon for municipal bonds. Unlike corporations, cities and states kept defined benefit pension plans with fixed obligations to retirees.

Joshua Rauh of the Kellogg School at Northwestern University estimates there are total pension liabilities between $3.2 to $4.4 trillion. Only about $1.94 trillion has been set aside for these obligations. The money set aside is invested fairly aggressively and if stocks don't have a terrific next decade, systemic defaults could happen.

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Rauh estimates pension funding will run out in 10 to 20 years if nothing is done. He is also not optimistic that they can raise taxes enough to to solve the crises. Unlike the U.S. government, states and municipalities cannot print money.

Each state or municipality may or may not have the ability to renegotiate those retirement liabilities.

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Allan S. Roth is the founder of Wealth Logic, an hourly based financial planning and investment advisory firm that advises clients with portfolios ranging from $10,000 to over $50 million. The author of How a Second Grader Beats Wall Street, Roth teaches investments and behavioral finance at the University of Denver and is a frequent speaker. He is required by law to note that his columns are not meant as specific investment advice, since any advice of that sort would need to take into account such things as each reader's willingness and need to take risk. His columns will specifically avoid the foolishness of predicting the next hot stock or what the stock market will do next month.

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doncheech164 says:: its easy to give away other peoples money (property taxes) until theres none left to give.; reply

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wfw3536 says:

As long as we have a president and folks in congress who are willing to spends a trillion dollars plus of money we do not have each year our country will be seeing the same thing. Several European countries are a great example of continued spending of money they do not have. Folks in our country better wake up and soon.


Allan_Roth replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; It's too bad our politicians can't work together to solve some very tough problems.

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JerryNA100 says:

In other words, politicians have promised benefits to public sector workers in exchange for lower wages, but did not want to levy a proportional amount of taxes to pay for their promises. Now public sector workers will get cheated out of contracted benefits as well as blamed for being greedy (instead of the politicians).


JerryNA100 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; p.s. Alan, I hope you and our family are okay, and not affected by the fire in Colorado Springs.


Allan_Roth replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; JerryNA100,

It's hard to believe that politics could get in the way of logic, isn't it? Thanks for the nice wishes regarding our fire. We haven't had to evacuate our neighborhood.